Tuesday, May 1, 2018

I gave my back to the smiters

Life and Ministry of the Christ in Isaiah
Isaiah 50

Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? In this chapter God asserts his power to save, namely, by the obedience and sufferings of the Messiah.

4  The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
5  The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
6  I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
7  For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
8  He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
9  Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

This is Christ himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit through Isaiah.

4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned
he declares he was anointed by God so that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.

5 The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back
Christ was not only anointed, he was fully yielded to the will of the Father

6  I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 
This is the suffering of Christ. He shall suffer pain and abuse at the hands of those he came to save:

Matthew 26:63-68
63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 
64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 
65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 
66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. 
67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 
68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?

Matthew 27:26-31
26 Then released he [that is, Pilate] Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 
28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 
30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 
31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Why would Christ suffer? For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)

7  For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
therefore shall I not be confounded (or as the LXX has it, therefore I was not ashamed)
“I shall not be ashamed - neither of his ministry, which was with power and authority; nor of his miracles, which were proofs of his deity and Messiahship; nor of his obedience, which was pure, and perfect, and pleasing to God; nor of his sufferings, which were for the sake of his people; nor of the work of redemption and salvation, in which he was not frustrated nor disappointed of his end.” (John Gill)

8  He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
9  Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
This speaks of the resurrection. Christ appeared abandoned by God on the cross

Matthew 27:41-43
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

But he was not abandoned! He is near that justifieth me ... the Lord God will help me. Amen! How will God help Christ? Christ suffered and was crucified, died and was buried, but God raised him up from the dead and exalted him at his right hand!

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)

Christ, speaking through Isaiah, spoke of his coming, his suffering, and his resurrection. Jesus is this Christ, and he suffered for us, that he might restore us to God. Praise the Lord!


I hope you can sing with me!


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